


White Noise

by TillyTittle



Series: Tuff Tales [2]
Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Character Study, Feels, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Probably ooc, What Was I Thinking?, give him a hug, he needs one, unless you count the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23960350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TillyTittle/pseuds/TillyTittle
Summary: Keith "Two-bit" Mathews does some reflecting after his friends died and questions his worth.
Series: Tuff Tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746019
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	White Noise

Silence can be deafening, Keith Mathews knew that well.

That’s why he fills the silence, prolongs the conversation, even for just a second more. That’s how he got his nickname, Two-bit. Always adding his part in the discussion, always talking.

Silence meant something was wrong, someone was mad or upset, Two-bit didn’t like that. He liked laughter, laughter meant that people aren’t upset with him anymore, it meant he did something right. He wanted to make people laugh, to fill the silence with laughter.

And he did, at least for a while.

He was able to make his family laugh, he was able to lighten the mood even on the darkest of days. He cheered Johnny up after his encounter with the Socs, he managed to crack Dally’s hard exterior, he comforted Sodapop when he was torn between his brothers. He even managed to get out of trouble because he made the cops laugh! 

He was useful, his family needed him, appreciated him.

After Johnny and Dally’s deaths, Two-bit felt hollow, but he still plastered on a smile. He tried to lighten the mood, he tried to help Ponyboy cope with the death of Johnny, he broke the news to Buck about Darry. He was looking desperately to do something,  _ anything _ , but Ponyboy had his brothers and Buck had already heard the news.

It had just been days yet the somber atmosphere is already getting to him. Two-bit felt horrible, his friends  _ died _ . Johnny, that poor boy, he deserved so much better, but at least Johnny got to die as a hero. Dally on the other hand, died in a way only he can think of, the look on his face was so sad yet almost relieved. They were just children, they were so young!

Yet, that wasn’t what was on Two-bit’s mind. He needed to stay strong, he needed to be there for his family. He  _ needed  _ to.

That’s what he said to himself, over and over again.

He slid down besides the fountain, this was where Johnny killed that Soc. He must have been so scared, Two-bit couldn’t even help him. He should’ve been stronger, he should’ve done something, why didn’t they come to him?

Then it hit him, they didn’t need him. 

What could he have done? He wasn’t as strong as Darry or Dally, nor had the experience. He didn’t have the charm Soda did or his ability to defuse situations. He wasn’t as patient as Johnny or as perceptive as Ponyboy. He wasn’t needed, no matter what he did, he was still expendable. All he did was talk, he was useless white noise.

Two-bit curled himself up near the fountain, the sounds around him fading to the back of his mind. The wind rustling the leaves in the park, the water rushing out of the fountain. None of them were loud enough to drown out his thoughts, not even his own voice.

He was mumbling, not even he was sure what he was talking about. It was probably something silly, something useless as always. There were other distant sounds, foot steps and talking? Two-bit thought he heard himself laugh, great now someone’s seen you.

Tears streamed down his face as he felt arms envelope him, Two-bit hiccuped as he began to sobbed. He hugged the other person tight, he didn’t want to let go. The person just patted Two-bit as he cried.

The silence was no longer deafening.

**Author's Note:**

> I might explore more of these boys, they seem to be curing writer's block.


End file.
